


Never enough time

by nonoelle



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bilbo Remains In Erebor, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonoelle/pseuds/nonoelle
Summary: No Company member died during the Battle of Five Armies although they are not scarless. Also, there may be a little lifespan problem.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Kudos: 15





	Never enough time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spring is coming, is it a time to go home?

Cold was the night, yet full of beauty. Still, it was a spring night. While in theory the weather should head towards summer scorch, the hard soil did not forget the winter’s embrace so easily. Therefore, autumn felt more pleasant as one could walk on good ground, heated by old summer flame. Although last fall provided many, many horrible, hurtful memories and it’s usual gentleness was not able to soothe the pain. This power has been held solely by time, for bones to union, for wounds to mend, for mind to ease.  
It was just the beginning of Foreyule, and any reasonable hobbit would start to muse about festive foods to make, to enjoy and to impress neightbours with… and what was the dwarwish name for that miserable month? Somehow Bilbo could not recall this detail. He remembered that Balin gave him once a proper lecture on the topic of dwarrow time measurement, but at that time he did not really pay attention, worried sick about bedridden Durin family. Yes. That battle so cruel, so grand. Unbelievable that Company survived that nightmare, marred less or more. Kili and Fili, the youngsters, healed relatively fast, although their carefree days were gone. They would remember dragonsickness creeping into their uncle mind, the bloodshed and a foul odor of rot. Sometimes they would relive the experience, in their darkest dreams. Bad weather would bring them body pains, as if they were much older. Still, Kili would suffer most, his arms being injured too severely. Archery, his cherished craft has been lost for him. Best dwarwish archer could wield his weapon no more.  
Poor, sweet boys, their mother still in Ered Luin, organising the first caravan of dwarves. So far Erebor has been filled mostly with citizens of Iron Hills and members of smaller settlements. Dain has proven to be a great help with administrative matters, despite his lack of manners and former unwillingness to support the quest against the dragon. Dain’s daughter also arrived there, willing to help people in need and to learn more about kingly duties. She was a cherished heir to the throne, after all. Her beard was long and plentiful, ginger coloured. Her skin soft, with few freckles here and there, skye blue eyes and stern glare aimed at Bilbo, when he mistook her for a man dwarf. It was a name that misled him. Dwarf princess was named Thorin the Third. Bilbo apologised vigorously, beet red, Kili and Fili chuckling behind his back.  
\- So, in your Shire hobbit have a specific names that indicates whether they’re male of female? How silly… - sighted the dwarrowdam.  
\- Yes, Thorin is a perfectly good name both for our beautiful guest and our slighty less pretty uncle – added Fili, gaining a very pleased look from the princess.  
\- Usually hobbit ladies are named after plants, like Rosie or Poppy. My mother was named Belladonna. Male names are rather meaningless… I suppose they often end with „o” like Folco and Mungo and Otto and Bilbo – Hobbit smiled a bit. – Going by this logic, I would expect dwarrow ladies to be named after gems or something. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst...  
\- Custom is a custom. I hope we will become friends, Mr. Baggins – said the princess politely and returned to her father’s side.  
\- Oh, Mr. Boggins clearly has eyesight problems. Too much books, for sure! – Kili teased him a little.  
Yeah. This memory was not too bad. Yet, just to be clear, Bilbo had a somewhat different opinion of which Thorin were to be more attractive. As any dwarf, he was big and solid, towering over three feet tall hobbit friend. Willy-nilly. Since he was of Durin blood, he was even taller than average member of his race. That used to intimidate Bilbo in the past, made him weirdly shy and jumpy around the dwarf king. Yeah, that must have been a reason. Let’s not forget his rude and grumpy behaviour most of the time! And yet that embrace on the Carrock hill felt very lovely, like, the most pleasant occurence during the journey, next to Beorn’s well stocked pantry. Maybe not the most interesting from the point of view of the reader – these would delight in explicit descripton of trolls and orcs and all the unpleasant.  
Bilbo felt a familiar tingle in his soul – there were words and sentences that wanted to get free, out of his mind, through his hands. Words to be immortalised on the parchment piece, to be read and shared among miscellaneous folks. The feel of Thorin arms was interesting only to Bilbo, who spent far too much time reminiscenting over such a small gesture. It would have been better to busy oneself with productive activity. Bilbo’s dwarfs, guard dwarfs, and probably any Erebor subject would freak out, discovering his solitary night stroll. Kili once sugessted attaching to him a leash or a little vibrant bell – and Bilbo very much hoped it was a joke. Of course it was, right then Thorin suddenly choked on his oatmeal and looked as undignified as possible. Eru bless the ring, it made the job of sneaking past guards a walk in the park. Or a piece of cake. Seed cake or a tray of scones…

After the battle Bilbo was given a choice to return to the Shire. That would be a logical thing to do. Contract was fullfilled, dragon killed, mountain reclaimed, quest all succesfull. He and Gandalf would smoke pipeweed and chatter and enjoy silence together. And that quest would end in reaching the Shire, great dusting and food shopping. Bag End was waiting. His dear dwarrows insisted for him to stay and he let himself be swayed easily. All was done and yet the sence of completeness was absent. Well, Erebor needed to be put in order after the Smaug reign, Thorin and boys needed to heal… Bilbo also wanted to help and it was decided that he would help Ori in the Ereborean Library. That could have been a job for a lifetime, endless tomes in various languages. It felt good, not being useless. Certainly more productive than collecting rents. Like it or not, there were matters to settle in the Shire and even Belladonna knew life was not an eternal holiday. Someday he must go back

**Author's Note:**

> I self-edited my work, no outside beta. If somebody would like to volunteer, it would be greatly appreciated. My English could have been better, but still, it is kind of exctiting, writing in foreign language. In English there is no gender ingrained in grammar, how refreshing.


End file.
